The present invention refers to a device for carrying a milking member, which includes at least one teatcup and which, via a flexible conduit member, is connectable to a milking machine arranged to provide a relatively low pressure, wherein the device includes a support element, which is fixedly mounted in or at a milking box having a front end and a rear end, and being arranged to receive an animal to be milked, wherein said animal is positioned with the head at the front end, and an arm arrangement, which is pivotably connected to the support element and arranged to support partly the milking member during milking of said animal and when said teatcup is applied to a teat of said animal, wherein the arm arrangement is movable from a first position, in which the milking member is located beside said animal, to a second position, in which the milking member is located below said animal.
A plurality of such devices for carrying a milking member are known in the patent literature. Such carrying devices, which frequently are named service arms, are in typical cases in connection with manual application of the teatcups, intended for carrying the milking member when the milking member is moved from a position beside the animal to be milked to a position below the animal. The milking member is released from the service arm by the milker, which holds the milking member with his one hand and applies the teatcups with his other hand. However, many known service arms have the disadvantage that they, during the milking proper, influence the milking member with forces in directions which are not desired.
EP-A-630556 discloses a device for carrying a claw with four teatcups. The claw is, via a flexible conduit member, connected to a milking machine which is arranged to provide a relatively low pressure. The device includes a support element, which is fixedly mounted in or at a milking box arranged to receive an animal to be milked, and an arm arrangement, which is pivotably connected to the support element and arranged to support the milking member in connection with the application of the teatcups and also during the milking proper. Furthermore, the device includes a force-generating member arranged to generate a force acting forwardly on the claw during the milking. The claw is however only connected to the arm arrangement in a loose manner via a schematically disclosed connection. The long milk conduit hangs apparently substantially loosely under the arm arrangement.